My bed is not a litter box!

[melorix]

So at least twice now, Cosette has pooped and/or peed on my bed. The first time, I didn't even notice until I was just about ready to crawl into bed. It was normal-looking stool and TWO puddles of pee. I was livid, but I did not yell or anything. It was far too late for anything like that.

The second time, I was keeping an eye on her. She had just started to pee when I told her loudly, "No!" She ran off and I cleaned up yet again. Last night it looked like she wanted to -- she started pawing at the sheets, but I stared hard at her and she got down.

She has not been in my room unsupervised since then, and I won't let her sleep with me until this is cleared up. She also is very afraid of me now and has been hiding in the basement. She didn't even come upstairs for breakfast this morning. I haven't touched her, and I only yelled at her to startle her out of her peeing process. I'm thinking I should at least see my vet on this, but other than that, I really don't know what to do.

Why is she doing this? The first time it happened, I was gone out of town all day, but only about an hour longer than I usually am for work. I read somewhere that cats sometimes pee/poop on beds when their owners leave for extended times. But I don't think this is the case. I really want to be able to trust her in my room again. I'm very, very lost.

 

[cat person]

I would say taking the cat to a veterinarian you trust sounds like a very good idea

. In general, cats are very clean creature's. So I would assume unless she was a completely feral cat brought indoors from the outdoors, then there is a medical reason for her behavior. Plus the last time she almost did the inappropriate urination and dedication in front of you, in my experience that is very abnormal domestic cat behavior.

I also would like to add, DO NOT let her in the bedroom until she has been seen by a veterinarian.

 

[melorix]

We have an appointment for Thursday evening. Hopefully it is something that isn't serious or is more behavioral than medical. She was never feral at all, so I'm guessing it is medical. It may also be she needs a litter box on the main level. They are all in the basement, but spread out. However, one of my roommate's cats absolutely bullies the crap out of her and likes to hang out in the basement. Maybe she's avoiding that. I will try moving a litterbox upstairs between now and Thursday, but I still will not allow her in my room until she's vet-checked.

 

[cat person]

Originally Posted by Melorix

We have an appointment for Thursday evening.

That is great news, let us know how it goes please.

Originally Posted by Melorix

Hopefully it is something that isn't serious or is more behavioral than medical.

Just my two cents/experience it is easier to cure a medical problem in a domestic cat then a behavioral one

.

Originally Posted by Melorix

She was never feral at all, so I'm guessing it is medical.

Maybe or maybe not, the only times I have ever seen domestic cats use human beds for "litter boxes" was when the cats had an illness, lived outdoors as a feral cat or there was a MAJOR reason not to use the litter box based on an environmental factor.

Originally Posted by Melorix

It may also be she needs a litter box on the main level. They are all in the basement, but spread out. However, one of my roommate's cats absolutely bullies the crap out of her and likes to hang out in the basement. Maybe she's avoiding that. I will try moving a litter box upstairs between now and Thursday, but I still will not allow her in my room until she's vet-checked.

Now in your case, that sounds like an environmental factor. I would recommend moving some litter boxes around the house. So that way the other cat can not "guard" the litter boxes. Hope that helps.

A vet check is never a bad idea. Also keeping her out of your room for now is a good idea

.

 

[princessesme]

I hope all goes well! Are you also using a pet urine/stain remover so she isn't smelling the urine and feces? We had an issue for about 2 weeks with our girl going outside of her litter box but with a good scrub with urine remover (and a steamer, to be sure) along with Cat Attract for her litter, she was cured. We also tried spraying some "Stay Away" spray which has helped. I know we went a little all out, but maybe just a good scrub and cat attract could help too?

Keep us updated!

 

[barbb]

It is a good idea, no matter what, to make sure she doesn't have any medical problem. But I think the fact that she did it in front of you was so you would know that she is really upset.

If I were you, I would buy a tall cat tree, put it in your room and make it clear that it is her tree where she can feel safe. Get a laser light or peacock feather and have her chase it up and down the tree for fun and exercise. It will help reduce her stress and also build her confidence and self esteem because it will bring out her natural hunting instinct.

You also need to put a litter box somewhat nearby to your room as she associates your room with safety. As a rule of thumb there should be one litterbox on each level of your house anyhow.

I definitely think the other cat is stressing out your cat, and when you were gone longer than usual, your cat felt more unprotected and stressed out.

As far as the other kitty, if you have time you and your roommates can play with them together, using string toys and lasers so they will associate time with each other as positive. You can also give them catnip together. Making sure to exercise/play with them at least once a day will get rid of their boredom and will release a lot of the aggression and stress from both cats.

As the other poster said, you will need to really get rid of that smell, I would throw out the sheets and bedding completely. If it went down as far as the mattress, really scrub it with Odo-ban or Nok-Out, and then buy a vinyl mattress protector at bed, bath, beyond and put it on there. Dose the mattress with Febreeze after you clean it and then turn your mattress over completely.

You have to do this because sometimes cats will eliminate inappropriately because of stress or illness, but once the smell is there, they may return to the spot because of the the smell, forgetting why they went there in the first place. So even after you fix her stress, you still need to make sure your cat cannot smell that area.

Good luck!

 

[barbb]

Oh I almost forgot, I know Cat Person said to keep her out of your room- this is normally a good idea because you don't want her returning to the scene of the crime and you need to fix her stress first.

But if you do that, you will have to find another place for her that "belongs" to her and where she feels safe from the other cat when you are not home, or she will just pee/poop elsewhere. Definitely getting her a tall cat tree just for her, in "her" territory, should help matters, along with play therapy for her alone, and for both cats together.

 

[melorix]

Wow, thanks for all of the suggestions! Love it!

Because of some fraudulent charges, I am a little strapped for cash until the next payday, which is next Tuesday. Or until those charges get reversed, whichever comes first. I'll be fine with the vet bill, but a tree purchase is going to wait, unfortunately. I know there are some good deals on Amazon that are far cheaper than any pet store, but even the tall ones are around $75 or so. I just can't afford it at the moment.

As far as getting rid of the smell, I can buy a new bedding set, which I was planning on anyway. I cannot flip the mattress because it's a pillowtop and the other side is completely flat. But I can try some of these odor removers. Where can I buy them?

She's not quite so afraid of me now, which is reassuring.

I may also try a Feliway to ease her stress. I'll probably also pick up another litter box, since right now we have exactly four for the four cats, so we need one more. I'll move one up from the basement and place the new one somewhere on the main level, too.

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions! I will let you know how the vet visit goes tomorrow.

 

[barbb]

You can get Odo-ban at Home Depot and I think some pet stores also carry it. I would recommend using this product.

If you can't get a cat tree just yet, maybe instead you could get some of those U-shaped cardboard boxes from Sam's Club or CostCo or ask for them at the grocery store. Make her a little cave in your room with the inverted box and put her toys in it. Get her some sparkle balls at Michael's craft store (they are pretty cheap). The attention will distract her and she will feel safe and special. If there is somewhere you could put the inverted box up higher, that would be great, but the floor works too- so long as it is in an area where she won't have a territory fight with the other cat over it.

 

[princessesme]

I get my odor remover at Petco or Petsmart. Either or really.

We also use Feliway to help with stress. I really like the plug-in scent versus the spray though. Worked better for my 2.

Good Luck!

 

[minka]

Originally Posted by Melorix

As far as getting rid of the smell, I can buy a new bedding set, which I was planning on anyway. I cannot flip the mattress because it's a pillowtop and the other side is completely flat. But I can try some of these odor removers. Where can I buy them?

You can buy the odor removers at Petsmart or Walmart, the best kinds are Nature's Miracle and Nok-Out. Look for enzymatic cleaners.

 

[tj7779]

There could be a number of problems at play here from a urinary tract infection to a problem with the litter box, the location of the litter box. Best to have him checked out by a vet though.

 

[melorix]

So, I just got back from the vet. I am so happy and relieved to report that Cosette is a perfectly healthy kitty!

The only thing that was slightly abnormal was the simple gravity part of the urinalysis. I think she said the most efficient number was 1035, and Cosette's was 1025 (or ten points under the max efficiency). The vet said it could be due to my recent decision to put my cats on an all-canned food, but also could be symptomatic of kidney issues. She must've seen the look on my face, because she quickly reassured me that a two-year-old cat is quite unlikely to have kidney problems. She still recommended bloodwork to check her enzyme levels, which I agreed to. Better to be safe than sorry, yeah? They came back perfectly normal.

She suggested pretty much what everyone here has to curb the inappropriate elimination. I have moved a litterbox to my upstairs bathroom, where the Devil Cat (one of my roomie's cats who terrorizes Cosette) never goes. I will also get a tree in my bedroom next week and a Feliway diffuser as well.

Overall, I am just happy she is a healthy, albeit stressed out kitty. Now to make her a happy kitty!

 

[melorix]

With the all-clear from the vet, Cosette was allowed back into my bedroom for the night. She did beautifully. She was even extra-snuggly! I thought perhaps after that rather stressful vet visit, she might hate me for a week. They had to take urine out via a needle inserted into her bladder, then do bloodwork, after which she vomited from the stress. I felt so badly for my poor girl, so I gave her lots of extra snuggles, taking advantage of the fact that she just doesn't move much at the vet's and doesn't mind being held while there.

So far, so good. I know she used the litterbox that's in the new location and not my bed, so progress already!

Nonetheless, I've been wanting a cat tree for ages, and a Feliway can't ever hurt (right?).

I'm still not sure if I'll trust her in my room while I'm away at work today, but I suppose if I did overnight, there's no reason not to now.

 

[barbb]

I'm very glad that she is doing well! I think your bedroom will be fine. She only peed in there to let you know that she was in trouble and needed help. It was her way of telling you that she couldn't manage anymore on her own. Just keep her routine going and make sure she knows you are there for her, and make sure that if she and the other cat interact, that you and your roommate are facilitating it and making it a positive play session and letting them go off on their own agendas of rivalry or territory :-) Yay! I'm so happy for you!